The three dominant commercial systems for providing audio programming to a listeners are broadcast radio systems, cassette tape playback systems and compact disk playback systems.
Broadcast radio uses both the AM and FM frequency bands making a large number of simultaneously broadcast programs available on an essentially random access basis. Unfortunately, since most broadcast stations attempting to appeal to the same general listening audience, much of the programming is duplicative and special interest programs are broadcast on a limited basis. In addition, because there is no convenient way for listeners to be aware of the wide variety of materials scheduled for broadcast, most people listen to only a limited number of stations which dependably broadcast the programming considered to be most acceptable. Even when desired programming is found, it must typically be listened to when it is broadcast; that is, at times chosen by the broadcaster and not the listener.
Tape and compact disk audio players offer the listener the opportunity to purchase specific music selections or albums performed by favorite artists and to replay selections from these purchased recording whenever desired. Pushbutton track selection, as well as improved fidelity, has made the CD player the preferred choice of many, despite the cost and inconvenience of purchasing a library of desired disks. Unfortunately, specialized information programming, unlike music, is largely unavailable on tape or disk, and that media is not capable of adequately conveying rapidly evolving information such as local and world news, weather reports, and rapidly changing trade and business information. Although broadcast radio provides adequate, up to the minute coverage of general news topics, specialized information continues to be largely unavailable on any of these three audio delivery systems, not withstanding the fact that radio, tape and CD players continue to be widely used, particularly in automobiles, for general news and music programming.
More recently, "Internet radio" sources has been introduced which make files of audio program material available for downloading on the World Wide Web using conventional web browsers to locate and request specific files which are then played in real time by special programs, including the popular "Real Audio" program offered by Progressive Networks. Although Internet radio systems make it possible to deliver a richly diverse selection of audio programs to interested listeners on request, including specialized information not offered by conventional broadcast media, the use of a visual web browser to search for and then play individual program selections one at a time makes conventional Internet radio players impractical for routine desktop use, and wholly unsuitable for use by an automobile drive.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide easy access to rich selection of audio programming and to allow the listener to dynamically and interactively locate and select desired programming from the available collection in an easy and intuitive way without the need for a visual display screen and using only simple selection controls.